Jamestown Street Railway
Trolley Car #93
Restoration Project

With 2026 comes the 100th Year Anniversary of when Jamestown Street Railway Trolley Car #93 was first put into service.

• For whatever building #93 ends up in, donations to our building fund with the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation will go to its construction. For those wanting to donate in celebration of the 100 year mark, it is very much appreciated! BUT, there is another donation opportunity more toward an advertising option, as illustrated by the following images. The first one shows #93 at its iconic turnaround loop at the corner of Willard Street and Willow, Jamestown, New York. Looking closely inside the car, you can see the typical advertisng signs that were used above the seats on trolley cars and later on they were used on buses.

  

• The idea is to offer the poster advertising space on the trolley for a donation to the building fund. Posters will be continuously displayed for all those who visit #93. Still working on the details to be announced.

• I like this idea because it works out that two of my favorite things can be used to illustrate it. I wrote a book on Early Chautauqua County Beer Brewing and Bottling, (always available for purchase by emailing me at park2@netsync.net). The poster in the trolley advertises 400 Beverages. That was a product of the early Jamestown Brewing Company mentioned in the book. Also, one of my earliest history interests was Chautauqua Lake Steamboats. The image below shows an original trolley advertising poster for Swell Blend Coffee that used a Chautauqua Lake steamboat in their advertising.

  

• The image bellow shows a few more examples of some of the trolley posters from back in the day. So far, all of those that have been found have been extremely brittle and break apart fairly easily. The Swell Blend poster had pieces missing, but enough was there so it could be digitally repaired. One group of posters was recovered during a home remodeling project. The interior walls were taken down to the studs showing the posters over the spaces between the exterior sheathing boards to keep out the elements.

  

• Below is an example of what the Jamestown Street Railway may have used back in the day. Advertisers can come up with their own design. Posters have to measure 11" x 20".